BMW Group is adopting natural fibre materials for use in exterior and interior components across future series production vehicles, such as roof structure of the next BMW M3. The flax-based composite materials, produced by Bcomp, a Swiss cleantech company backed by BMW i Ventures, offer a viable alternative to carbon fibre components.
According to Bcomp, its natural fibre composites can reduce CO₂e in production by approximately 40% compared to carbon fibre alternatives. The materials also provide additional end-of-life environmental considerations beyond manufacturing benefits.
The partnership between Bcomp and BMW Group originated in motorsport programmes, where the materials underwent extensive performance validation across multiple racing platforms, including Formula E, DTM, and GT4. The collaboration began in 2019 with the development of a high-performance cooling shaft for the BMW iFE.20 Formula E race car, using Bcomp’s ampliTex and powerRibs materials.
The progression continued with the 2022 BMW M4 GT4, which featured more natural fibre components than any GT race car to date, with the materials incorporated in both interior and exterior applications. This motorsport validation provided performance data for the transition to series production applications.
Manufacturing integration
The materials have been engineered over a multi-year research and development effort, to integrate seamlessly into existing large-scale manufacturing processes. The M3 roof components will be produced using fully automated Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) technology, to ensure consistent quality and production efficiency.
Additional interior and exterior parts will be made using prepreg manufacturing processes, where fibres pre-impregnated with resin are shaped and cured in autoclave systems to achieve the desired stiffness and quality characteristics.
“By collaborating with BMW Group we’ve been able to prove the performance of our innovative materials on the racetrack,” said Johann Wacht, business development manager at Bcomp. “Using these natural fibre-based materials on exterior parts of series road cars did seem impossible to many, but through our passionate teams collaborating closely we have been able to achieve the unthinkable.”
“The next step of this journey will see our materials used in series production cars, but our partnership won’t end there,” added Christian Fischer, CEO at Bcomp.
